The Black Kite is a medium-sized (M 55cm; F
60 cm) raptor with a blackish brown body and a slightly forked tail. The
wings are long and narrow, and the underside of the primaries shows a large
whitish patch. The Taiwan race formosanus is said to be smaller than
mainland races, but the difference appears to be subtle; furthermore, this
subspecies is said to occur on Hainan as well, so its endemic status is questionable.

The Black Kite catches a variety of prey
including mice and other small rodents, small birds, bats, lizards,
amphibians and large insects. It also eats a wide variety of animal
remains, scraps from abattoirs or fisheries, garbage and any kind of
carrion, including animals killed on roads. It spots prey from the air,
flying fairly low in an agile, maneuverable manner. It is gregarious and
roosts communally, usually in trees. The Black Kite occurs in all types of
open or lightly wooded habitat including grasslands, rivers, lakes, wetlands
and seashores. It nests in tall trees or on cliffs, building a nest of
sticks lined with various materials; the female lays 2-3 eggs and incubates
them, while the male brings her food.

In Taiwan the Black Kite is a rare resident
in lowlands to 800 m. Previously quite common, its population is now
estimated at only around 200 birds in five isolated sites: Wan-li, Rei-fang
and Hsin-tien in Taipei County, Tseng-wen Reservoir in ChiayiCounty and Northern Mountain in Pingtung
County. It is listed as endangered in
Taiwan and is legally protected.

References: Guide to
Threatened Birds of Taiwan, BirdLife International Red Data Book, 2005 (Woei-horng
Fang); Handbook of Birds of the World Vol. 2; A Field Guide to the Birds of
China (Mackinnon and Phillipps); 100 Common Birds of Taiwan (Wild Bird
Society of Taipei); N. J. Collar, “Endemic
subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, in Birding ASIA, Number 2,
December 2004